


Getting Real for the Long Haul

by ThatwasJustaDream



Category: Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Episode: s01e06 The Naked Time, Multi, au following canon events, friendship fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-02
Updated: 2014-08-02
Packaged: 2018-02-11 11:57:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2067273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatwasJustaDream/pseuds/ThatwasJustaDream
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Uhura invites a colleague for dinner, and in the wake of the somewhat embarrassing events of "The Naked Time" a new friendship is forged.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Getting Real for the Long Haul

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ElasticElla](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElasticElla/gifts).



> Written as a reward fic for elasticella on LJ, for completing a Weekend Challenge in the 1_million_words comm! So sorry your reward was slow arriving, and hope you get a smile from it!

“That was an amazing dinner. Definitely the best I’ve tasted since we left home, thank you.”

Sulu kicked back at the small but sturdy and elegant table with tiny, blue and purple stained glass inlays Uhura had set up for them in her quarters. It looked like it maybe folded, and doubled as a desk when she didn’t have company visiting; he marveled at her ability to make her small room feel so much like a home. 

He’d never once had reason to visit her here until …this: The night he’d been working so hard to forget.

“You’re so welcome, Hikaru - but ordering from a replicator doesn’t exactly count as cooking someone a meal. If we ever share leave time on solid ground I’ll make you some of my mom’s favorite dishes. Then your taste buds will really do a happy dance.”

“It’s funny,” he sipped the Dentrassis lemon-beer she’d poured them. “I was so embarrassed over… you know. And yet you took it as an opportunity to help me see I wasn’t the only one who acted like a fool. It’s very kind of you.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself; I think you acquitted yourself very well. Your fencing moves were textbook and …damn, Sulu, you’ve been working out since you signed on.”

He’d been staring at his beer but his eyes flew to hers and he saw she was chuckling silently as she finished her own meal, so he let himself chuckle, too.

“Yes, well…I liked your comeback to my overdramatic attempt to ‘rescue’ you from absolutely nothing…” he felt his laugh deepening. “I call you fair maiden, and you snap right back with ‘sorry, neither.’ That was …perfect.”

“So not to be indelicate,” She changed the subject, pushing her plate away. “But I couldn’t help noticing which half of the crew you spent more time waggling your Épée at that night.”

That did it – he lost it, slumping with laughter as she lifted a delicate eyebrow.

“Oh, God…tell me it’s just because you’re the communications officer and maybe you _get_ people. Tell me it isn’t…too obvious.”

“Why should you care? It’s 2262 for goodness sake….”

“Yes, but… well…it’s a small ship. I’m trying to be careful how much I share and how fast. You know?”

“I do,” she said. “We’ve all been doing the same thing- sticking with ‘good morning’ and ‘have a good night’ and the occasional Friday night happy hour. But we junior officers…I think we need to get past that. This place….it’s our work but it could end up being our whole lives. Couldn’t it?”

“I’ve had that same thought. If we all re-up…the years will fly.”

“Besides,” She got up to bring the dishes to her small half-kitchen for a wash and he joined her. “I do have a sharper than average people meter. I can tell you which crew members might want to… sword fight with you.”

“Hell yeah, I’ll take you up on that. It’s been a long few months. And what will your matchmaking services cost me in return?”

“An ear to bend. Letting me vent about this place. I think we could both use someone close by to be real with.”

Sulu took a plate from her to dry it; he saw her head cock, her eyes go a little confused as she remembered something.

“That ….day,” she washed a glass. “Tell me, what the hell was up with Mr. Spock?”

“Yeah…wow, huh? That was one enormous case of blatant triangulation in action.”

“You mean what I think you mean?”

“That outburst of emotion? It sure as hell wasn’t about Nurse Rand.”

“Do you think the captain gets it?”

“I doubt it. I doubt Spock even gets it yet. They’ll figure it out, I’m sure.”

“That ought to be interesting to watch.”

“Game night Friday?” Sulu asked in the little silence that followed. “We could invite a few people to the rec room, widen our new little circle.”

“You got it…” she nodded. “…my friend.”


End file.
